March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. The annual campaign, sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), aims to raise public consciousness about head injuries and their impact on survivors and their families.
Approximately 58,500 people will suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Michigan every year, according to estimates from the state Brain Injury Association. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports that 30 percent of TBIs in the state are the result of car accidents. However, there are numerous ways that people can suffer brain injuries.
No matter the cause, any brain injury has the potential to cause injuries that last a lifetime. Here are ways that you can help build awareness about brain injury in your community.
Get Informed
A traumatic brain injury is caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head from an external force. A TBI can be a closed head injury, where the damage cannot be seen just by looking at the survivor. It could also be an open head injury, where an object penetrates the skull and pierces the brain.
Traumatic brain injuries are frequently the result of:
- Falls
- Car or truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Sports injuries
- Gunshots
- Combat-related injuries
A non-traumatic brain injury is one that is not hereditary, congenital, or caused by birth trauma. Examples include strokes, complications from tumors, near-drownings, seizures, and substance abuse.
BIAA statistics show that more than 5.3 million adults and children in the U.S. are permanently disabled due to brain injuries, approximately 1 in 60 people.
Take Action
The 2021 theme for National Brain Injury Awareness Month is #MoreThanMyBrainInjury. This name serves as an important reminder that survivors are not defined by their brain injuries or related disabilities. However, brain injury remains a misunderstood and underrecognized public health problem.
Here’s what you can do you help:
- Tell your story: If you’re living with a brain injury, you can submit your story to BIAA.
- Engage the media: Encourage the media to inform your community about the prevalence of brain injury through these press releases and media material from BIAA.
- Get creative: Look into ways to volunteer in your community, host a fundraising event, or design free gifts (e.g., tee-shirts, bracelets, posters, etc.) decorated with the BIAA icon. Using the logo is free as long as it’s for a brain injury-related cause.
Stay Safe
A brain injury can affect anyone, young or old. Do your part to prevent a TBI by:
- Always wearing a bicycle or motorcycle helmet. The same goes for when you’re playing sports like football, hockey, baseball, skiing, or snowboarding.
- Buckling up and staying alert when driving.
- Remembering a helmet for recreational activities, like horseback riding, skateboarding, rollerblading, or riding scooters.
- Always wearing required safety head gear if you work on a hazardous jobsite.
- Keeping an eye on your surroundings. Avoid slippery surfaces, broken pavement, and be sure to look both ways before crossing a street.
Contact a Michigan Brain Injury Lawyer if You’ve Been Hurt
Christensen Law is a leading Michigan law firm that represents brain injury survivors. If you were seriously injured in an accident that resulted in a TBI, you could be entitled to compensation to assist in your immediate recovery and prepare for whatever the future holds. Call or contact us today to speak with an experienced brain injury lawyer.
